SI Leeds Literary prize announces winner

We are delighted to announce the awards for the SI Leeds Literary Prize for unpublished fiction by Black and Asian women:

1st Place: Amita Murray - Marmite and Mango Chutney
2nd Place: Winnie M Li - Dark Chapter
3rd Place: Jamilah Ahmed - Recognising Strangers

The SI Leeds Prize Reader's Choice award went to Jamilah Ahmed for Recognising Strangers. The prize would also like to specially acknowledge the other shortlisted writers for their strong entries, Stella Ahmadou for Deadly Sacrifice, Fran Clark for When Skies Are Grey and Harkiran Dhindsa for Our Staggering Minds.

The winning manuscript was selected from many entries of promising and accomplished writing, covering a wide range of genres and subjects.

The judges for the awards were Susan Yearwood of The Susan Yearwood Agency, Margaret Oldroyd for SI Leeds and writer Karen Onojaife. The judging panel was chaired by head judge and literary activist Kadija George.

The SI Leeds Literary Prize is a groundbreaking award for unpublished fiction by Black and Asian women writers based in the UK. We are passionate about the prize being a loudspeaker for Black and Asian women’s voices, and a platform for exciting new talent. We have the backing of an impressive line-up of Patrons, who are influential writers and thinkers with a significant public profile including Bonnie Greer OBE, journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, British novelist Bernardine Evaristo, critic and broadcaster Bidisha, author and journalist Dreda Say Mitchell, journalist and writer Maya Jaggi and contemporary artist and curator Diane Howse amongst others.

Peepal Tree Press considers the winning entry for possible future publication.

The prize ceremony took place on the 12th October 2016 as part of the Ilkley Literature Festival. The prize is being run and funded by Soroptimist International of Leeds, part of a worldwide network of Soroptimists who create opportunities to transform the lives of women through dynamic projects and international partnerships. The prize has also been generously supported by Aspire Igen as well as two well-established Yorkshire-based literature organisations, Peepal Tree Press and Ilkley Literature Festival, both of whom have an enviable track record in literature development.

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